Ontario at the Top

Ontario at the Top

Within the Canadian context, Ontario has developed one of the most comprehensive and prescriptive forest management planning systems in the country.

–Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement

Ontario and Canada are considered leaders in forestry.

Less than 0.5 per cent of Ontario’s forested are harvested every year. It’s true – and the law requires that forests are regenerated after harvesting to ensure that new forests grow back. It is all part of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act (CFSA) – the law that requires any public forest land is managed in a sustainable manner – taking into account the environment, economy and society.

You may also not know that more than 24 million hectares of Ontario’s public forests have been certified. Certification is a process where independent experts make sure that the forests are being used and harvested wisely in a sustainable manner. Even though Ontario has only 2 per cent of the world’s forests, we have 7 per cent of the world’s certified forests. This means that we manage our forests in a responsible way.

“Canada (British Columbia and Ontario) and Australia (New South Wales) are the countries with the most demanding legislation on the studied elements.” –

Forestry Innovation Investment

#ItTakesAForest

“It Takes a Forest” is an initiative led by Forests Ontario in partnership with local, like-minded individuals and organizations with a common goal of providing the public with unbiased, fact-based information on Ontario’s forest sector and the role of our forests as one of the province’s most sustainable resources.